


Proud Corazon: The Story of Hector Rivera

by DFB



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 22:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17374484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DFB/pseuds/DFB
Summary: "Hector Rivera knew, even at such a young age, that life wasn't always going to play fair. But that was okay. As long as he had his music, as long as he had his guitar, he knew everything would work out okay."This is the story of Hector Rivera from birth to post film. Hope you guys enjoy reading this, I'm having a great time writing it!**A COUPLE WARNINGS GOING FORWARD***1) This story is going to get dark and depressing at times. I'm sorry in advance, but what can I say, Hector has a very sad life.2) There WILL be mentions of suicide/ underage sex/ death and mortality/ among other touchy subjects. They will all be noted at the start of each chapter if it contains any. But don't worry, there will be fluffy chapters of Hector being a goofbug just as much as there will be depressing stuff :D3) The events and characters that were not seen in Coco are of my own creation. All canon Coco characters and events are property of Disney/Pixar. When this story gets to the events of the film, I will just be telling it more from Hector's perspective than the film did.With that said, I hope you enjoy! Comments and constructive critiques are always appreciated!





	1. Prologue: A Star is Born

**Author's Note:**

> "But Isabella wanted to give the child something still. Something that parents can give to their child for free: an identity."
> 
> Warnings for this Chapter: Alluding to underage sex; some just dark, depressing stuff

She knew she shouldn't be doing this. She knew that it was a bad idea. But she just couldn't stop herself. She kept going back for another kiss. She raised her hands and tangled them in his long, black hair and wrapped her legs around his waist. He responded by placing his hand on the small of her back, just along her petite waistline. He then went for the hem of her skirt. She shoved his hand away.

"Wait, Diego, espera!" She exclaimed. Diego stopped in his tracks, looking down at his girlfriend confused.

"I-Isabella...What is it, amor?" He questioned. Isabella shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. She placed a hand over her mouth and began to shake violently from suppressing her sobs. Diego lightly grabbed the girl's wrist and moved her hand away, "Amor...talk to me...What is it? Did I hurt you?" The girl shook her head.

"No...not yet anyway..," The boy seemed shocked. He gave her a concerned look as the girl continued to get more upset, "Hermoso, we shouldn't be doing this. We...w-we still live with our parents...we are still en escuela. What if...," the girl clenched her eyes shut, "what if...I...," Diego placed a hand on her cheek, successfully getting her attention.

"We don't have to, then. If you're afraid, we can stop," Isabella's heart sank. She really did want to. She loved this boy. She wanted him to feel it. But at the same time she couldn't help but worry. If that were to happen...They were in no position...She bit her lip and looked to the boy. His tall figure loomed on the other side of the couch, staring at her in anticipation for an answer. His large nose casted a bizarre shadow along the upholstery that would have made Isabella laugh if it weren't for the crazed thoughts in her head. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in the moonlight coming in from across the room. A sigh escaped from her red lips.

"It's not that I don't want to...Aqui..we'll just...go slow...And let me know when you think you're...well...tu entiendes." Diego nodded his head in agreement. He stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"If at ANY point you change your mind, you let me know, okay? Te amo, mi vida," The girl nuzzled into the boy's hand and cooed at his words.

"I will... Te amo, también, mi hermoso...," The couple began to kiss passionately once again. Diego moved for the girl's skirt hem. But this time she did not stop him. In fact, she helped him. Once the garment was removed, Diego tossed it aside. It was soon joined by Isabella's top, then her undies, then Diego's trousers.

\----------------

It didn't take long for the almost daily bouts of vomiting to become a major concern. Her mama was especially worried when even the typical family remedies weren't working. Isabella also kept insisting that once she would be awake for a while, the nausea would fade. At school, she talked to Diego about her strange symptoms. He wasn't the brightest boy, but he had a big heart. He told the girl that he would come pick her up and bring her to the doctor whenever she felt that she had to go. She giggled at him and gave him a light shove, mocking his overly protective nature. Although Isabella was very worried about her current condition, she would never let her classmates know it. She maintained her happy-go-lucky, goofy personality each day, in spite of her poor early morning health. But eventually, her mama had had enough. She practically had to drag Isabella to the doctor. Diego had come with them, much to the added worry of Isabella. She dreaded stepping into that doctor's office. Mainly because, in the pit of her stomach, she already knew what he was going to say.

\-------------------

Isabella threw herself onto her bed, loud sobs echoing through her entire house. Diego sat next to her, rubbing small circles into her back, silent tears streaming down his face. He couldn't help but feel responsible for this. Although, in reality, they were both to blame. They brought this upon themselves. They brought this shame to their families. But most importantly, they brought it upon...them. The most innocent person in all of this madness. They were going to end up suffering more than anyone. Isabella could hear her mama downstairs, talking with Diego's mother about the doctor's appointment, and what it had brought into light. Isabella looked to Diego and began to cry harder.

"We've...We've really done it now, Hermoso...," she sniffed, "It...It's over...There's nothing that can be done," Diego shook his head hard, trying to swallow the ever growing rock in his throat to keep his voice from cracking.

"N-No, mi amor...W-W-We can fix this...We just-"

"NO WE CAN'T! No podemos arreglar nada...," Isabella hung her head, her tears dripping onto her sheets, soaking the fabric. Diego's face fell as well, finally allowing his own tears to fall. They sat in the sickening silence, the world still around them. It felt like everything had just stopped dead. The winds had stopped blowing. The birds had stopped flying. The people outside had dropped dead where they stood. Even the dust particles around them seemed to freeze in place. Isabella could swear she saw the color drain from the world around her. Everything was unraveling, falling apart at the seams. Isabella grabbed onto her pillow and wailed into it, her voice shaking the still world. Her knuckles went white as she clenched onto the white cloth harder and harder. The next 8 months were going to be hard, but it would be nothing compared to what it was all ultimately leading to.

\---------------

"Okay, carinosa, when I say go, you have to push, okay?" The doctor said to the girl on the table, eyes clenched shut and groaning in pain. Isabella nodded her head roughly, sweat beading on her forehead. Diego was next to her, holding tightly onto her hand. The girl looked to him, he nodded and gave her a sincere smile. She returned the sentiment, then reverted her full attention to her situation at hand.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

But she knew that, for herself at least, it would be over soon. For them though, for the little one, the pain hadn't even yet begun.

"Okay, Isabella, push!" The doctor exclaimed. Isabella did as she was told, pushing hard against the force on her lower half. She squeezed Diego's hand so hard he thought it might brake. He let out a small 'ay...' at the pressure, but let Isabella continue to constrict it. He knew it was nothing compared to what she was going through. This pattern of pushing and straining continued for what felt like an eternity, then Isabella felt a release of pressure, then...

Silence.

The world was still.

Then a cry. Isabella began to weep at the sound. She leaned into Diego and he held her close, stroking her shoulder. Isabella could see the doctor and his team of nurses surrounding a single beam of light at the far end of the room. She saw wet wash rags and other blankets being passed toward the conglomerate while the crying continued. A few minutes later, the doctor turned around with a small bundle in his arms. The screaming had stopped and was replaced by small whimpers, all seeming to come from the bundle the doctor was holding. He slowly walked over to Isabella and Diego and removed the mask from his face.

"Felicidades," he began, "You have a healthy baby boy," He placed the bundle in Isabella's hands and headed for the door. "Take all of the time you'd like," With that, he stepped out and closed the door behind him. Isabella moved a layer of blanket out of the way to see her son's face. Her face immediately broke into a smile when she laid her eyes on him. She could tell right away that the boy had gotten his father's nose, it looked like it was going to be large and it was already crooked. Then the child's eyes opened, and Isabella let out a small gasp. He had her eyes, brown with a hint of a reddish color. She lightly stroked the child's chubby cheek with her finger.

"H-Hola, mijo...," she sniffed, eyes welling up, "Soy tu madre...y estoy tan feliz de conocerte...," The child seemed to like her voice. He looked up at her, lights of the room reflecting in his eyes. He then let out a small giggle, a large smile taking over his small chubby face. He then reached up with his tiny hand to his mother. Isabella bit her lip, the corners of her mouth contouring as the tears continued to build up. She placed her pinky finger in the child's hand, to which he latched on tightly. Isabella let out a sob and placed her forehead against the bundle. Diego then leaned in to get a look at the baby.

"He's perfect, amor...," he looked over to his girlfriend with a smile, but it immediately fell as he looked at her shaking frame. She wasn't crying with joy. She was crying in despair. He placed a hand on her back. "'Bella...it'll be okay...It's what's best for him...,"

"How do you know that...," she whispered, not moving her head up from the blanket to look at him, "How could it be? He won't be with his family...He probably will never even know who we are...," Diego looked down, trying to keep himself from getting too upset. That wouldn't help right now.

"Because he'll have what he needs. He'll have a chance. We can't give him that, we can't give him anything...," Isabella let out a sigh. She knew he was right. They were still kids really, only 16. They were still in school, no time for a job. And their mothers' were busy enough with their own children. Not to mention neither family was well off and had no money to spare for another child. But Isabella wanted to give the child something still. Something that parents can give to their child for free: an identity.

"Well, we can still give him a name," She held the baby close then let out a weak giggle, "You already know what first name I want!" Diego returned the laugh and shook his head.

"Si, si. The name of your great-great grandfather, right?" Isabella nodded vigorously in response.

"It's a handsome name, no?"

"Si, I suppose it is. What about his last name?" Isabella shrugged.

"I guess it'll be yours, right?"

"Bueno, it's settled then. But for now," Diego began. He then gently placed himself on the bed with Isabella, one arm wrapping around the back of her shoulders, and the other aiding her in cradling the infant, "For now let's enjoy the time we have with our familia pequena." The group stayed cuddled together on the bed, enjoying each other's company for the first and last time.

\-------------------------

Isabella let out a deep sigh. As her and Diego walked into the large concrete building, she couldn't help but notice the lack of color in the place. For a place literally designed for children, it was oddly...cold. The couple approached the reception desk. They were "greeted" by a heavy-set woman with a wrinkled face. She looked as if she was constantly in a bad mood. There was also a large distracting mole on the woman's chin. Diego felt his mouth curl up in disgust seeing it. The woman scoffed as the couple walked in.

"Buenos dias," she began, sounding as if she was reading off a script, no genuine emotion behind the greeting at all, "I'm Miss Selena, I'm the owner of this business,how can I help you?" Isabella approached slowly, a grave look in her eyes. She had been steeling herself for this moment for the last 9 months. She wasn't going to cry. She felt emotionally dead.

"We're here to...drop off our son," she responded coldly. Miss Selena let out a huff.

"Didn't want him, huh?" She answered. For a moment, Isabella saw red. And apparently, Diego did, too, as he actually spoke up.

"Excuse me, it's not that we don't WANT him! We CAN'T! You could be a little more understanding!"

"Diego, por favor," Isabella put her free hand up, signaling her boyfriend to settle down. They really weren't being the best people. They could put up with some sass. The woman continued to let out bothered huffs. She opened a filing cabinet in her desk and produced a paper from a manila folder. She placed it on the table top in front of the couple.

"I just need your signature." She stated coldly. Isabella looked down to the paper:

Santa Cecilia Orphanage Intake Form

Isabella swallowed the rock in her throat as she signed the paper. She felt as though she had just signed her own death certificate. Or possibly her son's. The woman then marched over and yanked the child out of Isabella's hands. The girl felt like a part of her heart had just been pulled violently from her chest. She had only known that boy for a day and yet he had already claimed part of her. A part that he would keep forever. Even if he never saw her again. That's when Isabella's heart began to melt again. She thought she was ready for this. But the sob that escaped her mouth while her arms remained outstretched towards her son showed that she clearly was not.

"Thank you, I'll take care of the rest. Have a nice day." Miss Selena stated blankly, not bothering to make eye contact with the distressed mother. At that moment, another woman came out of a door in the back of the main room. She appeared to be with administration. Miss Selena lifted the baby in the air and began observing him.

"Length: About 50 centimeters. Weight: about 6.1 kilograms," As Miss Selena continued to rattle off facts about the boy, the other woman wrote them on the paper that Isabella had just signed. Isabella found herself just staring at the two, not wanting to leave. Not wanting to leave her son in the care of these cold people. Just...not wanting to leave her son. But at the same time, she knew she had no choice. Diego placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked to him and noticed he was crying as well.

"Vamos, 'Bella. There's no point in making this any harder than it already is. Let's just go," Isabella nodded silently and allowed Diego to lead her towards the door. As she walked, she prayed their hijo would forgive them ....someday. Meanwhile, Miss Selena continued her list:

"Eyes: Brown, both appear healthy, Hair: Black, Skin: Tanned, no sign of abnormalities. Name:...," the woman scoffed, "Just leave that blank .We'll settle on something later."

That did it.

That was the one thing that Isabella gave to her son. She sure as hell was not about to let them take that away from him, too. That name is all he was going to have. It was the only link he would have to his family. Isabella was going to make sure he got to keep it.

"Hector!" She yelled back at the two women. They looked at her confused. Then Miss Selena cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Que?" She questioned, a cocky tone to her voice.

"His name," Isabella continued, her voice shaking in anger and sadness,

"His name is Hector! Hector Rivera!" With that the couple walked out of the orphanage, large steel doors slamming behind them. Hector then extended his hand towards the door and began to cry when it closed on his parents. Forever.


	2. Ch.1: The Power of music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "That's the power of music! It can keep people connected, no matter the distance, even through death itself!"
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: None.

The small baby boy's eyes darted around the dark, dreary walls of the orphanage. This place was so much different than the warm, cozy house he had spent the first day of his life in. This place was scary. The baby was slightly aware that he was moving. He looked up and took in the cold face of Miss Selena as she walked him down the hall. Miss Selena had wrinkles all around her face. Her back was hunched over and her nose was long, curved, and pointed. She wore glasses that somehow balanced atop that nose. She certainly wasn't the best looking woman, but to little Hector, she was a monster. She looked like one! She wasn't at all like the fair woman Hector was being held by mere minutes ago. This was not his Mama! His face contorted and he began wailing again. Miss Selena scoffed and nudged the boy harshly in her arms.

"Oh, pipe down, nino. You're going to have to get used to it here. You're going to be here for a while," she stated coldly, the boy still whimpering in her arms. A few moments more, and the woman pushed open a large door with her shoulder. A sign above the door, in bold letters, read: 'NURSERY'. Not that that meant anything to the small boy, still confused and frightened. The room was slightly less gray than the rest of the building, but not much more comfortable. Old paint was chipping off of the damp walls, questionable fungus growing in nearly every corner. Miss Selena slumped heavily over to an open bassinet and placed the boy down inside. He squirmed around, trying in vain to find any form of comfort. Hector began sobbing again, small hands batting at his own face. Miss Selena let out a grumble and shoved the bassinet harshly. As far as she was concerned, she had done what she had to do. She brought the kid in. Now it was time for her to retire for the night. She stomped away from the whining baby boy and began banging on a very frail-looking door at the back of the room.

"Rosa!," she called into the door, "A new kid was brought in today and he won't cierra la boca! Get out here!" With that, she left the room through the large door she had brought Hector in from and let it shut with a loud bang. Somehow, the other babies in the "nursery" did not seem phased by Miss Selena's rampage. It was as if it wasn't the first time she had been so loud. Hector, however, was not yet used to such harshness. His face was now beat red from wailing for so long. He was so busy crying that he didn't notice the figure approaching from the corner door. But he did feel a soft pair of hands wrap themselves around him and lift him up.

"Shhhh....shhhh, mijo...Stop crying now...Esta bien...," The arms that cradled him then began to rock him back and forth. Hector's brown eyes peeled open through the tears and saw the face of a young woman. She had very soft features and long dark hair. The gentle face stirred something in the mind of the small child, something familiar. He took in some shaky breaths as his tears finally began to slow. One of his tiny hands reached up and grabbed tightly to the woman's shirt. She let out a soft chuckle and offered the boy a finger to hold instead. The boy grasped on to her finger hard. The woman then sat in a wooden chair at the end of the bassinet.

"I know you are confused, little one. I know it's not...," she let out a sigh and looked around the room, "I know it's scary here, but I promise, I'll do my best to make it a little more comfy for you," Little Hector's eyes began to flutter shut as the woman's voice settled his small mind. Just before he fell off into sleep, he heard the woman say: "My name's Miss Rosa, and I take care of you ninos. Sleep now, mijo. Everything will be alright."

\--------------------------

Days passed and turned to weeks which quickly turned to months and years. After 4 years had gone by, Hector finally began to look like a little boy instead of a baby. His features were a bit out of proportion, his nose and ears seeming to be a bit too big for his head, his dark black hair growing long and at times covering his chocolate brown eyes, his one front tooth missing and leaving a big hole in its place. And somehow, despite the environment he grew up in, he maintained a very happy-go-lucky, goofy personality. Even for such a young boy, he was able to bring smiles to so many peoples' faces. All things considered, Hector survived as best as he could. But since he spent most of his time with Miss Rosa, he was able to get by okay. He tried to avoid Miss Selena at all costs as she still very much scared him. Luckily enough for him, Miss Selena also tried her best to avoid the nursery.

"I don't do babies," she would say. Hector had even managed to make a friend, another little boy named Carlos. Carlos was about 1 year older than Hector. He had short dark brown hair, vibrant green eyes, he was taller than Hector, and he was much more mischievous. He was always playing pranks on the other children: hiding their toys and stealing sips out of their milk when they weren't looking. Hector thought that Carlos was just the funniest person alive, and began to join in on Carlos' tricks. Miss Rosa would always verbally disapprove of the boys' antics, but deep down, she found it very endearing. Not to mention, the boys had a soft spot for Miss Rosa as well. They never played pranks on her and would always stop if she asked them. The three of them were quite close.

So close in fact, that it almost got the two boys in trouble with none other than Miss Selena. Miss Rosa was playing music for the children one day on her flute. She would do this daily, gathering the children in a circle and playing for them. Hector loved the sound of her flute. It would soothe him and nearly put him to sleep where he sat. He was always amazed at its ability to do that and always became excited when Miss Rosa would call them into the circle. But one day, Miss Selena busted into the room and glared at Miss Rosa and her instrument.

"Miss Rosa, I have a splitting headache! Stop that noise this instant!" Miss Rosa gave the old woman a stern look.

"Perdon, Miss Selena, but the children love this. Stopping would make them very upset," Miss Selena scoffed and pointed a wrinkled finger into Miss Rosa's face.

"I don't care what the brats like. Shut that noise up NOW!" Miss Rosa sneered at the woman.

"I will do no such thing, and they are not brats. The children want to hear it, so I will at least finish the song," Hector and Carlos smiled up at Miss Rosa from their seats on the floor. They admired how Miss Rosa, even for being so gentle and small, could become so fierce when she was defending something she loved. Miss Selena however was not impressed. She snatched the flute out of Miss Rosa's hands and held it high above her.

"I said no! I'll just take this horrid thing back to my office to make you stop! Good day, Miss Rosa!" Flute tight in her hand, Miss Selena stormed off out of the room.Miss Rosa watched her, mouth agape and tears welling in her eyes as they locked onto the door in shock. Hector looked up at Miss Rosa's face and noticed the shine of the tears. He approached her and tugged at her skirt. Miss Rosa looked down with a start.

"Miss Rosa...please don't cry," Miss Rosa looked down at the boy as a smile crossed her face.

"Oh, Hector," she knelt down, and held the boy tightly in her arms, "I'm not crying, mijo, see?" She then flashed the boy a smile which he sheepishly returned. Miss Rosa than stood up and wiped any stray tears from her face, "Ay, ninos, um...," Miss Rosa began as she twirled her fingers together and averted her eyes from the curious ones of the children around her, "It...it seems that we'll have to cut song time short today...Um...G-go about your business and play okay?" The children slowly dispersed about the room as Miss Rosa retreated to her back room solemnly. Hector heard a small sniff escape from the woman as she softly closed the door to her office behind her. Hector pouted at the closed door then changed to a look of deep thought. He marched over to Carlos and pulled him close.

"Carlos," Hector began, "I feel so bad for Miss Rosa. We have to get her flute back!" Carlos gave his friend an incredulous look.

"Que? How, Hector? It's in the hands of the witch!"

"Lo se, but there has to be a way! Miss Rosa would never let us down!" Carlos looked down, gears turning in his head. He knew Hector was right, but getting the flute back from Miss Selena was not going to be easy. After a few moments, a mischievous smile broke out onto Carlos' face. He then turned to Hector.

"I have an idea, amigo, but I'm gonna need your help. Are you in?" Hector beamed at his friend.

"Por supesto!"

\------------------------------------------------

Hector and Carlos walked silently through the empty, gray walls of the orphanage. They had left the nursery wing of the building, which is something that was strictly forbidden, but it was also not something they hadn't done before. They slinked through the halls, making their way to the center of the building where Miss Selena's office resided. Carlos walked ahead and peered down the hall. The office's light was on, and Carlos could see the silhouette of Miss Selena through the glass window. Carlos tapped Hector's shoulder and motioned him to follow behind him. The two boys ducked under the larger window in the hallway and stood on their tip toes to look through the window in the door. They scanned the room for Miss Rosa's flute.

"There!" Carlos loudly whispered, nudging Hector and pointing to the corner of the room. Shining in the light was Miss Rosa's flute, haphazardly placed on a stack of papers. The boys ducked back down under the door, "Okay, Hector," Carlos began, taking out a pack of pins from his pocket, opening it, and handing one to Hector, "You ready?" Hector nodded and rushed back down the hall. He hid behind the wall at the end of the hall and squatted down. Once in position, he motioned with his hand to Carlos that he was ready. Carlos then lifted his fist and began banging loudly on the door. He then took off running down the hall and whipped around the corner at the opposite end from Hector. Moments later, Miss Selena's angry form emerged from the office like a bear from its cave. She looked around, turning her head sharply in either direction. Carlos then banged on the wall in front of him, drawing her attention down the hall.

"Whatever diablo is doing this, you're gonna pay!" Miss Selena began, shutting her office door and starting off after Carlos, who had already taken off further down the hall. He lured Miss Selena further away from her office using the same method. Once she got far enough away, Hector took off toward the office door. He tried the knob, but to no one's surprise, it was locked. Hector took the pin from his pocket and poked it inside the door lock. He began moving it around, holding his ear to the door. The longer he took, the more paranoid the little boy became. 'At this rate-!' Hector was snapped out of his thoughts by a scream from somewhere on the same floor. Alerting Hector that Miss Selena had stepped on the bed of pins Carlos had laid out for her. This signified that Carlos was no longer luring Miss Selena along, and that she would soon be back to the office. Hector was now even more frantic with the pin. Eventually, he heard a soft click. Twisting the knob, he pushed himself into the room and quickly snagged the flute. He turned to make his way out of the room, but froze when he heard footsteps at the end of the hall. She was back!

"These little b-brats think this is f-funny!" Miss Selena was mumbling to herself at the end of the hall, "They have no idea how bad I could make their pathetic lives!" Hector's head whipped around the room, small eyes darting around, looking for a way out. Not that a way out would really help. She would see him and the flute if he left the room. He noticed a small opening under her desk and shoved his small frame in it, holding the flute close. Hector saw Miss Selena's feet walk through the door and head to the opposite end of the office. He peeked out from the gap and saw Miss Selena, hovering over her file cabinet, looking at her red, irritated, and slightly bleeding foot. Hector noticed she left the door open in her haste. His eyes clenched shut as he practically threw himself out of the office. Once he regained his surroundings, he looked around to see Carlos at the end of the hall Hector had been waiting in, heading back towards the nursery. Hector scurried over to duck behind the wall with Carlos. Carlos slapped his hands down on Hector's shoulders, trying to hold back giddy laughter.

"Ay, amigo, I thought you were done for! Good job!" Hector panted heavily on the floor, and smiled wide.

\-----------------------------------

Carlos and Hector opened the door to the nursery, Hector holding the flute behind his back. Miss Rosa saw the boys come in and rushed over, urgently placing a hand on each of the boys' shoulders.

"Ay Dios mio, ninos! Where were you both!? You know you aren't supposed to leave the nursery! Especially not without me! Where did you go!?" She asked, a mix of fear and anger coloring her eyes.

"Nowhere in particular, Miss Rosa!" Carlos stated, smiling brightly.

"We just had to pick up something special!" Hector continued, lifting the flute up to Miss Rosa. The woman gasped and reeled back a bit in shock. Her jaw dropped. She then began letting out small laughs between sobs. She wrapped her arms around the boys and hugged them tight.

"Ay, angelitos pequenos! Muchas gracias!" She stood and cradled the flute in her arms, "I really shouldn't be happy that you boys broke the rules! But it was very sweet of you to get this back for me! Just don't make a habit out of that, okay?" The boys nodded hard. Miss Rosa looked at the flute warmly, then back to the children, "Would you ninos like to know how I got this flute?" The two gave her wide smiles and nodded. The woman let out a chuckle and glanced back to the flute.

"My mama gave it to me when I was a little girl. My mama was so sweet, and she played such beautiful music with it! But one day...she became very ill...So ill that she could no longer play. So she gave her flute to me and said to me, 'Mija, I want you to keep this. I want you to think of me whenever you hear its sound. If you ever learn to play, I want you to know that I am right there with you, playing right along.' I took her advice, and I learned how to play. I even played the song she always played for me at her funeral," Her face flashed a look of solomon sadness, but quickly turned back into a smile. She noticed that Hector had tears in his eyes at her story. She cupped his chin and looked him right in the eyes.

"No tears, mijo. I am not sad! That's why my Mama gave me this flute, to keep her close to me! That's the power of music! It can keep people connected, no matter the distance, even through death itself!" Hector beamed at Miss Rosa, awe struck. Then they heard the door to the nursery fly open. Miss Rosa quickly slipped the flute in the back pocket of her apron. Miss Selena stomped over to the woman.

"Miss Rosa! Your flute is missing from my room! Where is it!?" Miss Rosa only shrugged in response.

"No se, Senora. I haven't left the nursery. Perhaps you just...lost it?" Miss Selena stiffened in place. Miss Rosa shot her a mocking glance. Hector and Carlos giggled to themselves as Miss Selena was getting visually more and more flustered. The old woman scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Perhaps...But if I hear that noise again, I'll take it away again and break it!" Miss Rosa nodded as Miss Selena stormed back out of the room. Miss Rosa giggled to herself.

"Guess we'll just have to move song time to my office, then, huh boys?" Hector and Carlos busted out laughing in response. The thought of still playing music right under Miss Selena's nose was too funny a thought. Hector wiped a tear from his eye and looked to Miss Rosa and to Carlos. Although this place was a bit scary, he was glad to have two very good friends to see him through. 'As long as I have them', he thought, 'everything really will be fine!'

Unfortunately for him, this comfort was soon about to come to a crashing halt.


	3. Ch.2: Brother, my Borther

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "That particular man was gone, but Hector couldn't help but wonder how many more of him were out there. How many other people out there are more than willing to kill to get their way? And what if he ever gets close to one?"
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: Mention of murder, Some emotional abuse

It was a busy day in the nursery. Miss Rosa was running around in a panic, dusting and wiping down everything she could put her hands on. The children, the ones who were old enough at least, where brushing their hair and straightening out their clothes. Hector just looked around confused. The now 5 year old boy just stared on as his fellow orphans acted more proper than he had never seen before. Even Carlos seemed to be checking his hair, albeit half-heatedly. Hector approached his friend, eyes still glued to the peculiar show the kids were putting on before him.

"Oye, Carlos,do you know what's going on with everyone today? Has everyone gone loco?" Carlos scoffed and sent a glance to the group of frantic children.

"Hmph. Today the Bruja is hosting an adoption event. They don't happen all that often, just once every couple years or so," Hector shook his head.

"But I've been here my whole life! I've never heard of it before!" Carlos chuckled and ruffled Hector's messy hair. In the last year, Carlos had definitely hit a growth spurt. He was now significantly taller than Hector, something that Carlos frequently loved to rub in his face.

"The last one happened around 4 years ago. You must've just been too young to remember, muchacho!" Hector scowled and batted his friend's hand away, giggling at his jeering.

"You're only a year older than me, hombre!" Carlos shot his friend a sly smirk. A smirk that was quickly replaced with a frown. He once again looked to the sea of children still frolicking about, preparing themselves for the day.

"It's pathetic, really, Hector," Hector's face dropped in somber surprise. In all the years he and Carlos had been friends, Hector had never seen Carlos look so...defeated than he did in that moment. His eyes were glossy and his brow furrowed, "The Bruja holds this event when she feels like there are too many of us...When she's sick of seeing our faces, in a pointless attempt to get rid of us. You see all them," he motioned to the other orphans in the nursery, so giddy with excitement, "They're just fooling themselves. They're so excited about getting adopted that they forget that the Bruja doesn't want us to be happy. She doesn't care who we go home with or when. She just wants us gone. If we get adopted, great!...But she is surely not going to make sure that happens, not in the right way. She just doesn't care enough," Hector's head dropped down at Carlos' speech. He really didn't like hearing his usually cool and confident friend sound so dejected and hopeless. He shook it off and tried to cheer his friend up as best as he could.

"W-well, think of it this way, amigo! If you are adopted, you get to get out of here! A-and...if not...well you'll have me!" Hector beamed to his friend. Carlos looked down to Hector. He was smiling so wide it forced his eyes closed, his left middle tooth was missing leaving a gaping hole in the rows of slightly crooked teeth, and his long bangs fell over his face, covering a good amount of its youthful form. Carlos chuckled and gave Hector a playful shove.

"Gracias, idiota..."

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Hector felt like he was on another planet. He and the rest of the children of the orphanage were all corralled into the large main room where he had been brought years ago. There were adults everywhere. Strange adults. They were nothing like Miss Selena, and weren't really anything like Miss Rosa either. They seemed just...normal. But what confused him was how they seemed to be looking at them. To him, these adults seemed to be looking at the children in the orphanage like he looks at toys in the toy box, wondering which he was going to play with today. They certainly weren't warm and fuzzy like he had been hoping. Every time an adult or two would walk by one of the children, the child would straighten up, nice and tall, trying to impress them. Usually the adults would just continue to walk on by.

Hector stuck by Carlos throughout the day. Carlos dressed about as fancy as he wanted, which was the only shirt he owned that wasn't stained and actually brushed his hair for once. Hector tried as best as he could to dress nicely. He certainly wasn't used to it and wasn't really one for it. He had found a nice button up shirt and clean trousers along with knee high socks and brown, shining leather shoes. He had actually used some gel that Miss Rosa had in her office and slicked his hair back out of his eyes. He wasn't too sure how to deal with all of these faces looking at him so...blankly. Something about it was very unnerving to the little boy.

Across the room were kids that Hector had never seen before. They were much older than the kids in the nursery, and they looked very scary. Hector tugged on Carlos' sleeve.

"Carlos...w-who are they?" He asked, trying his best to mask the fear in his voice. Carlos scoffed.

"They're the kids from the east wing. They're the ones that have been here too long or are too old for the nursery. I think they're all between 10 and 15," Hector audibly gulped.

"W-w-why do they look so...?" Hector faltered.

"Scary?" Carlos finished with a light laugh. Hector nodded, "They look like that because they have given up. They know they aren't getting out of here. They're too old for anyone to want to adopt. And, hey, you'd look like that too if you had to stay with Miss Selena all day," Hector looked up to his friend, eyes wide with fear, "Yeah, Miss Selena runs the east wing. Once you turn 10, you have to leave the nursery," Hector's eyebrow raised in confusion.

"How do you know so much about this place, amigo?...You're only one year older than me, you couldn't have been here much longer than I have," A dark look overtook Carlos' face.

"Did I ever tell you I had an older brother?" Hector reeled back slightly in surprise. He hadn't told him, "If I haven't, I'm not surprised. Mi hermano was about 10 years older than me. We were brought here together when I was almost one, or so Miss Rosa told me. He immediately went to the east wing, away from me. But when I got older, I would still sneak out every night and meet him in the halls. He would tell me everything about the east wing. He told me that Miss Selena would tell them about adoption events so they could clean up the place. He also told me that I would come over when I was 10, too," While talking about his brother, Carlos' face had actually broken out into a large smile, the first one of the day. But it was quickly replaced by a frown once again, "But then, one day, at an adoption event just like this, this man tried to adopt me. This man was a local apothecary and, legend has it, he used humans as experiment subjects. Well, obviously, I didn't realize the danger, and the Bruja didn't care. Mi hermano attacked the man as he tried to take me and started to throw fist after fist at him. Then the man swung back, a scalpel in hand....Mi hermano didn't make it to the hospital."

Hector felt a shiver go up his spine. He felt the words 'lo siento' form on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to actually say them. He just stood, frozen in place, and shook his head in disbelief. He really didn't remember anything about this, even though he must have been here. He really must've been too young. Carlos let out a sigh.

"But that was a long time ago, amigo. That man's long gone. Let's hope some of our friends get adopted today by better people, si?" Hector simply nodded his head blankly. He couldn't help but still see that brutal scene playing in his head. Sure, that particular man was gone, but Hector couldn't help but wonder how many more of him were out there. How many other people out there are more than willing to kill to get their way? And what if he ever gets close to one?

The boys were so lost in their conversation that they didn't notice that a couple was looking over at them, whispering to themselves. The woman let out a small giggle and began walking towards the two boys. She knelt down in front of Carlos and placed a hand on his chin. Carlos flinched slightly at the sudden contact.

"Hola, nino. Como estas?" The woman asked Carlos. The young boy's eyes darted back and forth, confused.

"I'm fine...," he murmured. Hector was looking on, taking double takes between the woman and Carlos. She then moved her other hand and placed both on Carlos' shoulders.

"What would you say if I told you my husband and I are gonna be your new familia?" Carlos' heart dropped. As did Hector's. They sent smiles to one another. Carlos turned back to his new Mama.

"I-I-I'd like that!" Then his face fell as he looked to Hector. Although Hector was young, he was far from stupid. He knew that they were talking to Carlos. And just to Carlos. He nodded at his friend, fighting back tears. The couple hugged Carlos, and his new Papa patted his head.

"We'll be back, mijo. We just have to sign some papers," With that, they walked towards Miss Selena who was seated at a table in the center of the room, surrounded by documents. Carlos turned to Hector, staring down at the floor.

"Hector...I...I-I don't know what to say, amigo...," Hector punched Carlos' shoulder and sent him another beaming smile.

"You don't have to say anything! I'm happy for you! You've been here longer than me and...after what you told me...you deserve to have another chance at a full family!" Carlos' eyes filled with tears. Through the whole time he and Hector had been friends, he had never let Hector see him cry. That didn't mean he had never cried. He did. Often at night, all alone. He cried about his brother, about his family he never knew, and about the hell hole he was living in. But he wouldn't let Hector share his misery. But these tears were different. These were tears of joy. And Carlos had no problem sharing them with the only other child in that place that he felt truly understood him. For the first and last time in their friendship, Carlos stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Hector tightly. Hector's eyes shot wide at Carlos' out of character actions. But then he returned the contact. The boys stood stock still, hugging tightly, allowing their own tears to stain each others' shirt.

"Hector-! Look at me, mi amigo!" Carlos whimpered out between sobs. Hector looked up at his friend, tears streaming down his face. Carlos grabbed at the sides of Hector's head, shaking with tears and desperation to leave his amigo with one last piece of advise, "Do not let this place break you! You are a tough kid! And I promise, you'll find a family too someday!" Hector then began to sob in Carlos' arms as their embrace continued. Two shadows then overtook their shaking frames. When they looked up, Carlos' new family stood over them. His Mama extended her hand to Carlos.

"Come along, mijo. It's time to go home."

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Hector waved vigorously to Carlos' silhouetted figure as it walked out of the large steel orphanage doors into the blinding light of the Santa Cecelia sun.

"ADIOS, MI HERMANO!" Hector yelled towards the door. With that tears filled Carlos' eyes once again. After all this time, he realized he had another brother this whole time.

"ADIOS, HERMANO!" Carlos' shouted in return. Then the doors slammed closed. Hector's arms fell to his sides, tear streaks finally starting to dry on his face. However, the smile on Hector's face quickly fell as he came to a horrid realization. As happy as he was for his friend, he couldn't help but feel a sickening tightness in his stomach.

He was all alone.

As far back as he cared to remember, Carlos had been there to help him, guide him, support him. But now, he had no one to lean on. No one to help him. He looked around at the strangers looming over him. They suddenly seemed so much taller, so much more intimidating. He started backing up, visibly uncomfortable. The more faces he noticed staring down at him, the more they seemed to be closing in on him from all sides. Hector started to get frantic, backing up quickly and feeling tears once again prick at his eyes. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He took off running towards the nursery, unable to take the starting any longer. He crashed into the empty nursery and began weeping softly into his pillow.

Hector's sobs echoed in the large empty room, reverberating off the cold walls. He started looking around the room. He was the only one in there. Everything seemed dead, as if he had ran directly into an otherworldly void. He glanced over to Carlos' bed. It was still undone from this morning. Hector felt a cold chill as he realized that Carlos won't be laying in it anymore. Then a blaring light filled the room. At the entrance of the nursery stood the looming frame of Miss Selena. She stomped over to Hector's shaking frame, obviously very angered.

"What are you thinking, idiota!? You looked loco, running out of the room like that!" She stood over Hector's bed, waiting for him to give her an answer. And it had better be a good one.

"W-W-well I....I-I-I....I j-j-just-...!" Hector stammered. Miss Selena rolled her eyes and slammed her hand down on the side table next to Hector's bed. She then stuck her finger in Hector's face.

"Whatever your reason is, I hope you're proud of yourself! You've done a great job making all of those families think estas absolutamente loco!" She fumed back to the door she came in from and stood in the frame, "I hope you were crying tears of fear! Fear that you would ever be adopted! Because after that performance, you will NEVER get a family!"

She slammed the door shut like a gunshot right to Hector's heart. That last comment shook him down to the bone. What if what she said was true? What if he never did get a family? At first, anger boiled in the boy's blood, but it was quickly replaced with dread. Dread at the thought of being with that bruja everyday in just a couple years. He pulled his knees to his chest and began to wail violently into them. The room now felt colder than ever, practically stinging his skin. He shook violently, almost convulsing. In that moment, he wanted more than ever to feel his father's arms wrap around him. He longed to hear his mother whisper soothing words to him and rock him to sleep. He just wanted to know he was loved. But he wasn't so sure he was....or ever will be. Suddenly, as if the world heard his pleas, he felt a pair of arms drape across his shoulders. It was Miss Rosa! He hadn't even heard her come in! Upon seeing her soft features look down at him, illuminated by a candle she had placed on the table, he threw himself into her chest and continued sobbing.

"Hector, stop crying, mijo, por favor," Miss Rosa begged as she began stroking his back. However, her kind words seemed to fall upon deaf ears as Hector's sobs continued to shake his small frame. However, he did manage to choke out some words.

"M-Miss Se-Selena said...I--I'll n-ne-ever have a f-f-family...!" Miss Rosa's jaw dropped. Then she shot an angry glance toward the door, where Miss Selena was standing mere moments ago. She began patting Hector's back.

"Shhh...Mijo, don't listen to her...I know you will get a family someday!" Hector looked up at her, eyes red and still filled with tears.

"You-," he wiped at his eyes with his shirt, letting out a pathetic sniff. His once gelled hair now falling sloppily across his face once again, "Y-You really think so?" He whispered up to the woman.

"Of course, Hector!" She cooed softly to him, "And remember, as long as I'm here, ,you will never be alone. I'll be here for you until you get a lovely family, and I see you off just like you did for Carlos today. Just remember, stay strong, stay happy, and be yourself. Okay, mijo?" Hector smiled a genuine smile up to her then buried his head back into her chest. He let out a shaky breath as he settled into her warm embrace. He felt his eyelids begin to feel heavy, the events of the day finally catching up to him.

"Gracias, Miss Rosa...," he whimpered with his last bit of energy. He then completely fell asleep in her arms. Miss Rosa sent the boy a sweet smile and placed a small kiss to the top of his head.

"Buenas noches, Hector," the woman stayed still allowing the boy to sleep on her for a bit longer. Unbeknownst to the both of them, looking on was Miss Selena. She scowled at the scene before her, sick to her stomach that Miss Rosa was undermining her. There was no chance that she would let that go unchecked.

Not a chance in hell.


End file.
